Free Web NovelChapter 58: Clearing the obstacles
Ying Yue, Gu Fang Xin and Chen Yu Ming began to move forward defeating the starting obstacle — A Rank 2 Venomous Lizard.
The deeper the disciples entered into the Academy Great Forest, the heavier and suffocating the air became. Unlike Lin Yuan’s group, who seemed to dodge through the wilderness with a strange kind of strategy, this group advanced with painstaking, agonizing caution. They knew every step was a risk. The low hum of fallen leaves crunched under their feet wavered across the forest pathway sluggishly, while thin streaks of sunlight pierced the thick canopy like spotlights tracking their movements.
Slowly, the environment changed around them. The calm forest pathway gave way to dense, suffocating bushes and trees. The tall, swirled vines wrapped themselves around large, dying trees like coiling serpents. As they walked on the strange pathway, there were lingering flowers in the sideways, emanating faint yellow light around their stem elegantly. The strange scenery looked so beautiful to the disciples’ eyes.
Chen Yu Ming rubbed her arms, a sudden shiver running down her spine. "As we are going deep into this forest, it feels... more creepy."
"No," Ying Yue murmured, slowly crouching down. Her frantic fingers smeared against the damp ground, feeling the faint reverberation of the ground. "It feels like we are being hunted."
"Ehh? H-hunted?" Gu Fang Xin frowned, his voice low as whisper, his face filled with contempt.
Before Ying Yue could elucidate what she meant, a faint rustle brushed across their front. The bushes ahead rapidly trembled.
Instantly, all three ducked low into a crouch position, holding their breath. From the wavering bushes of the front, three pairs of shimmering green eyes slowly appeared, locking onto the disciples.
"Rank One Thorn Coyotes," Ying Yue whispered, her voice was calm and her eyes locked onto the eyes meticulously.
Gu Fang Xin narrowed his eyes, analysing the beasts’ calm body language. "No... wait. They’re retreating."
The coyotes weren’t trying to attack the disciples. Instead, they were retreating away into the shadows, their ears relaxed, their heads tilting sideways toward the east. The sheer fear and despair filled in their eyes. They seemed to be fleeing.
"Forget about them. The exit should be somewhere ahead. Let’s move forward," Gu Fang Xin slowly stood back up, letting out a calm breath with a fragile sigh on his face.
With gentle, painstaking footsteps, the three disciples quietly walked forward the faint, frantic path ignoring the fleeing coyotes.
****
Meanwhile, deeper within the path of another entrance of the Academy Great Forest, a brutal cacophony of violence echoed through the trees.
Boom!
A massive, bloody fist slammed violently against the skull of a Rank Two Mandrill. The beast staggered backward, its clenched jaw drooling with saliva as it slashed its hands along with a furious roar.
"Hahaha!" Chi Fenglian laughed boisterously, his eyes shimmering with battle intent. "Come on! Again!"
Even without a shred of beast essence supporting his physical body, he lunged forward like a raging, unstoppable bull.
Bang!
His shoulder slammed vehemently into the Mandrill’s chest, the sheer force pushing the beast to lose its balance immediately.
At that exact second, Yun He swept his leg low across the ground, catching the mandrill’s ankle. The heavy, raged mandrill crashed heavily onto the ground face-first, forming up a cloud of dust.
Before it could even think of recovering, Lian Mei Lin lunged forward, with a thick, fallen branch nearby in her hands.
Crack!
With a fierce downward swing, she smashed it vehemently across the beast’s forehead. The branch shattered into a few splinters, and the frowning mandril let out a final, low groan before its body went frantic and fell down.
"Haha..." Chi Fenglian breathed heavily, his chest heaving vehemently, and wiping sweat from his temples. "That one was definitely tougher than expected."
"Rank Two beasts possess quite good physiques. We can’t afford to get careless." Yun He quietly nodded, darting her eyes on the corpse.
"There are no other beasts nearby. I guess... we’re clear for now." Lian Mei Lin darted her eyes through the surroundings, her eyes sharp and focusing.
"Good..." Chi Fenglian stretched his shoulders, crackling his bones slightly in a relaxing way. "Let’s continue moving."
As the three disciples turned to leave, Yun He suddenly froze, petrified mid-way. Her expression changed from frantic calmness to intense stress.
"What is it?" Chi Fenglian asked, watching Yun He’s face.
Yun He didn’t answer with words. Instead, she simply pointed straight toward the ground.
They were footprints. The large, deep footprints on the ground. Each step has a distance nearly twice the size of a grown man’s body. They were far forward on the straight pathway toward the west side of the forest. They were footprints of a massive beast.
"A massive beast," Lian Mei Lin whispered, her voice low as a whisper.
"No," Yun He muttered frenziedly, crouching down to smear her palm into the fresh impression left in the ground. "Something has recently passed. The mud hasn’t even settled."
None of the three disciples realized that these gargantuan footprints belonged to the same Stoneback Wild Boar that Lin Yuan had already slaughtered a few paces away.
On the other side of the forest, Lin Yuan calmly wiped a smear of blood from the tip of his broken wooden branch before tossing the useless weapon aside.
Chen Ming was walking with a grateful pride of defeating a Rank Four beast, and darted his head in all directions to analyse the surroundings.
"I still can’t believe..." Huo Ren sneered, staring straight onto the pathway, "that we managed to defeat it."
Lin Yuan ignored the words of Chen Ming and Huo Ren, crouching down beside the oak tree once. His fingers slowly traced the edges of one of the stone boulders beside him.
"Interesting..." Lin Yuan murmured, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"Which thing caught your attention, Lin Yuan?" Chen Ming muttered, stepping forward toward Lin Yuan.
"The beast we defeated..." Lin Yuan tapped the stone twice, a calm confusion brushing over his face. "It physically resembles a Common Beast I have seen before. But... how can a common beast be found as uncommon in the wild forest."
’Hahaha... you’ve finally noticed, brat.’ Suddenly, a raspy, fragile chuckle echoed inside Lin Yuan’s mind, his ring shimmered once.
’Well, you know how it is possible?’ Lin Yuan closed his eyes sluggishly, focusing his consciousness inward. ’Explain.’
’The answer is simpler than you think, boy. There are two kinds of beasts in this vast world.’
The turtle’s voice lingered in his mind like a hum.
Lin Yuan quietly listened, leaving his surroundings to the confused Chen Ming and Huo Ren while focusing on the words within his mind.
’The first,’ the Turtle elucidated, ’are the Ranked Beasts. Those blessed directly by the River of Origin. Boars, apes, deer, wolves, serpents, falcons, so on... it doesn’t matter the species. Every single beast granted power by the great river has an unique aura. That aura gives a simple understanding; it determines whether it belongs to the Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, or Divine pathways.’
Lin Yuan slowly nodded in his mind. ’Then... this boar wasn’t one of them?’
’Hahaha!’ The Turtle laughed, continuing its explanation. ’No. This poor fellow never received a single drop of the River’s blessing. It was just a Wild Boar. It just grows on its own, surviving day by day through sheer struggle in the wilderness. Such beasts are known as... Uncommon Beasts.’
’Hahaha... That’s it?’ Lin Yuan frowned, understanding the difference between the ranked and uncommon even the beasts are the same. ’Chosen or Wildly grown are the factors to understand their true power...’
’Exactly.’ The Turtle replied, pleased by Lin Yuan’s quick wit. ’A Rank Four Uncommon Boar can still slaughter countless ordinary Common Boars through sheer experience and brutal strength. And... if a Common Beast blessed by the River reaches high along with its master, then its future potential becomes infinitely greater than uncommon beasts. It has a chance that reaches the heavens, but the Uncommon beast is bound to the wilderness.’
’I understand. One possesses destiny. The other merely survives without destiny.’ Lin Yuan looked once more at the side where the wild boar lay dead. ’Just like me... hahaha!’
’Hahaha! Precisely!’ The Turtle slowly whispered into Lin Yuan’s mind, his ring shimmered once again bright. Chen Ming and Huo Ren thought Lin Yuan was just cultivating. ’Remember one thing, Lin Yuan. The Origin Aura never lies. The moment you cross paths with a beast carrying that ancient, strong aura... you will know instantly. It belongs to one of the River’s blessed pathways. Do not get confused from today.’
Lin Yuan opened his eyes and slowly stood, a calm, thoughtful expression lingering over his face.
"So that is the difference..." Lin Yuan muttered, his voice clear and calm.
"Difference between what?" Chen Ming confused, blinking his eyes once in contempt.
"Nothing..." Lin Yuan smirked, nodding his head in disapproval.
Just then, a faint glimmer reflected through the far, tangled trees. It was clear and sudden, almost like sunlight reflecting back from a shiny jade mirror.
"That..." Lin Yuan’s eyes immediately narrowed. He pointed toward the side of the glimmer. "Can you both see that light?"
"Umm... A reflection?" Chen Ming followed Lin Yuan’s pointing finger, squinting his eyes sluggishly.
"It flashed only for a mere second, but it was unique." Huo Ren slowly nodded, his posture straightening.
"It might not be the actual exit... but I guess it’s a clue we got." Lin Yuan sneered, a cunning smirk crawling on his lips.
Without another word, the three disciples rushed into a sprint, lunging toward the mysterious shimmer that flashed once, deep within the bushes of the Academy Great Forest.
